Field guide
Roofer Hail Damage Pages: What Adjusters Photograph First
The test square is the whole claim
The concept of the test square is the foundation of any hail inspection. Adjusters do not look at every shingle on a property. They rely on a standardized method originally developed by Haag Engineering: a 10-foot by 10-foot area, 100 square feet, marked off on each major roof slope, inside which the inspector counts the number of verifiable hail strikes. Most major US carriers require a threshold of 8 to 10 hits per test square to approve a full replacement on that slope. Three dented shingles on the south face make a story, not a count. The count is what pays.
The National Roofing Contractors Association guidance follows the same shape: establish representative test areas on every directional slope, and add extra areas wherever covering type or age changes. A newer addition and an older main roof are not the same sample, and one test square stretched across a sprawling roof is not a sample at all. The page should say this before the storm, because the homeowner who understands the test square is the homeowner who calls a roofer before the adjuster arrives, and the roofer who explains it is the one who gets to do the inspection.
Soft metal tells the truth first
Soft metal tells the truth before the shingles do. Aluminum gutters, downspouts, vents, drip edges, and fascia dent and lose coating right at the impact point, while asphalt shingles hide the same hit under granules. That is why a hail inspection starts at ground level, not on the ladder. AC condenser fins, 30-gauge aluminum, dent visibly in even small storms. If the soft metals on one elevation are clean and the opposite elevation is dimpled, expect the roof counts to differ by slope too, and do not average them away.
The collateral damage is what corroborates the claim when the shingle damage is hard to see. Adjusters spend significant time on soft metals, using a Haag shingle gauge and sidewalk chalk to highlight impacts, and a slope with 20 fresh dings on the ridge vent but no shingle damage per the adjuster is worth a second opinion. The National Weather Service puts the start of severe roof damage at hail around 1 inch in diameter, and the claim will be matched against a storm report for that address. A date the homeowner is unsure of is a gift to an adjuster looking for a reason to deny.
What the page should tell the homeowner to do first
Most denied hail claims are denied on documentation, not on damage. The page should give the order of operations: photograph the ground first, hail on the lawn next to a ruler or a coin, dents in the car hood, shredded leaves under trees. Check the soft metals from the ground. Get a professional inspection within weeks, not months, because the longer the gap, the easier it is to attribute damage to a different storm or to age. And do not let a tarp go up or sealant get smeared on a suspect spot before the adjuster sees it, because temporary repairs cover exactly the area the adjuster wants to see.
The inspection report itself has a shape worth naming on the page: dated, geotagged photos of each slope, close-ups with a chalk circle and a scale marker at each strike, a strike count inside a marked 10 by 10 foot test square, and photos of soft metal damage. A roofer who delivers that report is not selling a roof. They are selling the documentation the claim runs on, and the page that explains the documentation is the page the homeowner finds while the hail is still on the lawn.
Related reading
If this topic is useful, these earlier guides go deeper on connected questions: Roofer Storm Damage Pages: The Insurance Documents Come First, Roofer Storm Pages: The Inspection Report Is the Claim, and Roofer Warranty Pages: Manufacturer vs Workmanship, Stated Plainly.
Frequently asked questions
How many hail hits does an adjuster need to approve a replacement?
Most major US carriers require 8 to 10 verifiable hits in a 10 by 10 foot test square, 100 square feet, on a slope to approve full replacement of that slope.
What is a test square on a roof?
A 10 foot by 10 foot area marked off on each major roof slope, inside which the inspector counts verifiable hail strikes. It is the standardized method adjusters use, developed by Haag Engineering.
Why do adjusters photograph gutters and vents?
Soft metals dent at the impact point while shingles hide the hit under granules. Dented gutters, downspouts, vents, and AC fins corroborate the storm's severity.
How soon after a hailstorm should I get an inspection?
Within weeks, not months. The longer the gap, the easier it is to attribute damage to a different storm or to age, and most claims are matched to a storm report for the address.